Drones attempt to target Putin’s residence in Russia. Ukraine will be ready to join the EU within two years, could join NATO earlier, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration says. The parliament dismisses Reznikov as Defense Minister.
Drones attempt to target Putin’s residence in Russia
Overnight on Tuesday, September 5, drones attempted to target Russian President Putin’s residence in the Tver region, The Moscow Times said.
A video caught the moment a drone was destroyed over the village of Zavidovo, in the Tver region, where Putin’s residence is located, the news web site said on Telegram. Drone wreckage also fell on a garage in Pavlovskaya Sloboda, the Moscow region, with gas bottles inside, igniting a fire. Several powerful explosions were reported there. The Russian Defense Ministry said it had thwarted Ukraine’s drone attacks. Russian air defenses shot down a drone over the Kaluga region, it added.
Russian authorities, and the Moscow mayor in particular, frequently reported drone attacks throughout August.
Parliament dismisses Reznikov as Defense Minister
On Tuesday, September 5, Ukraine’s parliament dismissed Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov by 327 votes to four.
Speaking about his 552 days in office during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Reznikov said that Ukraine had received more than 200 types of western weapons and more than 30 models of Ukrainian-made drones.
Commenting on procurement scandals in the Defense Ministry brought to light by journalists, Reznikov said that those were “fake stories” and that law enforcement agencies of all levels are conducting checks. “Let’s wait for court decisions,” he said.
On Tuesday, the parliament also approved the removal of Rustem Umerov as head of the State Property Fund. It is expected to back Umerov’s appointment as Defense Minister in a vote on Wednesday.
Ukraine to be ready to join EU within two years, could join NATO earlier, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration says
Ukraine will be ready to join the EU within the next two two years, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna told Voice of America in an interview. Ukraine could join NATO even earlier, she said.
Stefanishyna said European Council President Charles Michel’s call for the EU to be ready for new members by 2030 does not mean Ukraine will have to wait for seven years to become an EU member.
Ukraine will be able to hold efficient accession talks, implement all the EU’s standards, and create an environment to rebuild the economy, becoming a competitive EU member state, she said.
“Ukraine will be ready to join the EU within the next two years, but the course of the war will define the political timeline for this decision,” Stefanishyna said.
Ukraine could join NATO earlier than that, she said. “Ukraine will be able to join NATO earlier. We are waiting for the victory and end of the war. One of the strongest, most powerful and most famous armies in the world will definitely be Europe’s best security guarantor,” Stefanishyna said.
Evolution of Care for Combatants with life-changing Injuries. Ukraine in Flames #503
In this episode of Ukraine in Flames, we discuss the challenges and support needed for veterans and wounded soldiers in Ukraine after RF’s full-scale invasion, emphasizing the importance of realistic solutions, changing public perceptions about veterans, addressing the unique nature of injuries in the ongoing war, and the role of volunteer assistance and international cooperation in providing medical care and prosthetics. Take a watch of Episode #503 here to find out how the industry has evolved and what Ukraine needs to do to support its veterans of war!
Guests:
- Vadym Svyrydenko, Presidential Commissioner for Rehabilitation of Combatants;
- Ihor Kuzin, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief State Sanitary Doctor;
- Natalia Kalmykova, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
